Sailors Roll Solid 7's at Hoyt, Nelson Trophies

Oct 27, 2008

Oct. 27, 2008

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -The MIT coed sailing team finished in seventh place out of 18 teams at the Sherman Hoyt Trophy this past weekend, while the women Engineers also placed seventh among 18 entries at the Stu Nelson Trophy. Overall, the Cardinal and Gray stayed in top form after ranking second and seventh at last week's Boston University Invite and Captain Hurt Bowl, respectively.

At the Sherman Hoyt Trophy hosted by Brown University, skipper Brooks Reed and crew Ellie Hass finished fifth in `A' Division, allowing the Engineers to coast over New England rivals Connecticut College, Yale University, Harvard University, Tufts University, and Boston University. The duo finished first in the opening and seventh rounds during the two-day, 11-round joust.

The `B' team of skipper Josh Leighton and crews Karlen Ruleman and Rachel Licht finished 10th in the lower circuit. A pair of last place marks hampered an otherwise solid outing in which the trio combined to take three first-place slots, including one in the initial tilt.

Saturday proved to be a spectacular day for racing as southeast winds of 6-10 knots built to a southerly 12-20. The teams were met with shiftier and unstable breezes of 3-8 knots on Sunday, despite beautiful weather with temperatures in the 60's. Courses were W4 and W3 with offset and leeward gates.

Roger Williams University won the event with a score of 110.

At the Stu Nelson Trophy hosted by Connecticut College, skipper Libby Palmer and crews Gina Fridley and Leigh Casadaban finished a stunning third in A-Division. The trio slotted in the top five in four of the 10 rounds, including a first-place finish in the eighth race, for a total score of 63.

Competing in the `B' group were Casadaban with fellow crew Katherine Shelly among others, and skipper Katie Gullick. The group finished 13th, with its best mark a fourth place slot in the sixth round.

Boston College won the event with a score of 77.

MIT also hosted the three-division Oberg Trophy, finishing 11th among the 17 entries. B-Division skipper Eamon Gluckin and crew Steph Tong led the way with a seventh-place finish. Freshman star skipper Philip Crain and crew Vicki Lee placed ninth in A-Division, while the `C' duo of Charlie Field and Jillian Reddy ranked 13th. RWU won the event with a score of 283.